February 1998 In This Issue

There is an element of magic in any audio design, but the Allen & Heath MixWizard series may have more than most. Martin Walker uncovers its dark secrets and listens carefully as it fades to an inky silence...

The original MAQ 16/3 analogue-style step sequencer, developed with the help of Kraftwerk's Florian Schneider, was released almost five years ago, but Doepfer clearly believe in shelf-life and have continued to update this unique instrument. Chris Carter steps ahead.

Kirk Degeorgio, aka As One: head of the cult techno label Op ART, producer of the recent Planetary Folklore LP on Mowax, co-composer of the notorious Adidas 'Prince Naseem in America' ad, and proud owner of a huge collection of Blue Note jazz LPs. Phew! Christopher Holder discovers that Ipswich is nearer the centre of the universe than he thought.

David Byrne must surely be one of the most individual and iconoclastic musicians of the late 20th century and, six years after leaving Talking Heads, he's still fusing different musical styles and forging new musical alliances. Sue Sillitoe does at least some of the talking...

Writer and electronic musician Paul Nagle successfully combines a day job with live performance and regular CD releases. Paul White zooms up the M6 and comes in for a landing at his well-stocked studio.

If you're after a great rhythm section, these days it's very easy to whip up a great groove from a MIDI file disk. But an inside Knowledge of how and why drum patterns work can help make you a better musician and get your rhythm section really working. Nicholas Rowland — well he got rhythm...
• Read Part 2 (March 1998)
• Read Part 3 (April 1998)
• Read Part 4 (May 1998)

This month, some of the people who actually get their hands dirty with arranging — often for the household names in popular music — pass on their thoughts, hints and tips.
• Read Part 1 (October 1997)
• Read Part 2 (November 1997)
• Read Part 4 (March 1998)

Waking up the neighbours with the latest turbo folk masterpiece is a major concern for many project studio owners. Paul White explains that monitoring with headphones and moving house are not the only solutions...
• Read Part 2 (March 1998)
• Read Part 3 (April 1998)
• Read Part 4 (May 1998)

The ball of S&S synthesis had been thrown, and most of the big names in synthesis caught it and ran with it, scoring some notable goals in the process. Paul Wiffen continues his chronicle of modern synthesis with a look at the state of play from the late '80s to the present day.
• Read Part 1 (June 1997)
• Read Part 2 (August 1997)
• Read Part 3 (September 1997)
• Read Part 4 (October 1997)
• Read Part 5 (December 1997)
• Read Part 7 (April 1998)
• Read Part 8 (June 1998)
• Read Part 9 (July 1998)
• Read Part 10 (August 1998)
• Read Part 11 (September 1998)
• Read Part 12 (October 1998)

The spread of the ADAT 8-channel optical digital interface to studio equipment of all kinds has raised the prospect of a revolution in multitrack digital recording. Self-confessed digital evangelist (amd Korg UK product specialist) Paul Wiffen explains how the optical digital interface and several fibreglass cables made keyboard session player Wix Wickens' life easier at last year's prestigious Songs and Visions concert at Wembley.

Delay, originally called echo, is one of the oldest artificial effects, yet it can still be one of the most impressive — if used with care. Paul White explains the potential problems and how to avoid them.
• Read Part 1 (October 1997)
• Read Part 2 (November 1997)
• Read Part 3 (December 1997)
• Read Part 4 (January 1998)
• Read Part 6 (March 1998)